BYU football has achieved a No. 2 national ranking in the AP poll following a 28-24 victory over Notre Dame, according to a October 20 report.
The win is being viewed as the culmination of roster building by coach Kalani Sitake that began in 2024.
The Cougars controlled much of the game against Notre Dame, holding a 21-10 lead at halftime. BYU maintained the lead until 9:31 in the fourth quarter, avoiding a closer margin that might have occurred due to two special teams errors and a pick route error by Kyler Kasper.
In the AP poll, BYU garnered 20 of the 69 first-place votes. This achievement marks the program's highest ranking since its 1984 national championship season.
The victory validates a successful run for the program that has gone 28-4 since 2024. While the team was 5-0 prior to the Notre Dame matchup, the win represents a shift for a program that previously lost high-stakes games.
In 2025, BYU lost two games against Texas Tech by double digits. Those performances led experts and casual observers to dismiss the team from discussions regarding the elite of college football, despite the team being considered good but not playoff caliber.
Following the game, BYU fan Steve Penrose expressed awe regarding the team's ability to earn national respect. He stated that he had been waiting his whole life to see the team beat the No. 2 team in the country fair and square while competing in a power conference.
The win follows a period of roster building by Kalani Sitake. The program has moved into the national scene with this latest climbing of the rankings.
